


Eyes On The Prize

by orphan_account



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Angst, BAMF Pepper Potts, BAMF Peter, BAMF Peter Parker, BAMF Tony, BAMF Tony Stark, BETWEEN THEM AT LEAST, But it's vaguely canon, Canon-Typical Violence, DO NOT SHIP TONY AND PETER, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Father-Son Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Minor Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, PLEASE THIS IS PLATONIC, Panic Attacks, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Pining, Protective Tony Stark, Science Fiction, Slow Burn, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-25
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-07-02 07:57:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15792321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Peter (1:24): Mr. Stark I need you to come get me. It’s urgent.Tony Stark (1:27): How urgent are we talking here?Peter (1:27): I think I got one of my best friends kidnapped.Tony Stark (1:28): Give me five minutes.~~~~In which a certain Michelle Jones is kidnapped and Tony steps in to help Peter figure out what's going on and get her back. Featuring a good amount of father/son sweetness, days off of school, Pepper Potts, and some very powerful magicians.





	1. Where It All Began

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story has been in the works for a good little while, and I think i finally figured out something that I like. I REALLY hope you guys enjoy it, too.

~~~~~~

It was a Friday afternoon at precisely 1:37 when Peter got the news. 

At 1:22, the clock ticked away overhead as Peter took notes, head shoved downwards to allow himself to write faster. The room was near silent until the door clicked open, and a custodian poked her head in. Every head in the room turned to face her, and she smiled sympathetically. 

“Mr. Edmisson, we need your class to meet in the auditorium for an announcement. It’s urgent.” She left before Peter’s teacher could respond, and he stood abruptly, eyebrows knitted together. 

The class stirred, books flipping shut and eyes gearing themselves towards the teacher. Peter had a pit in his stomach, and his palms started to sweat.

“Hurry up, we’ve got to go.” The teacher mumbled, and the class flooded out into the halls, where every other class was making themselves known, walking in disorganized lines and chattering loudly. 

At some point along the way, Ned caught up with Peter and the two started catching up on the previous night’s adventures.

“You look really tired man, what’s going on?” Ned asked inquisitively, and Peter huffed a sigh. It had not been a very good night.

“What do you me- oh. Right. Uh, it was okay, I guess, just really busy. People are getting to be a lot more aware of me, and that’s posing a bit of an issue. I have to talk to Mr. Stark about getting parts of my suit repaired.”

Ned’s face lit up. “Oh my god, somebody tore through your suit?”

“Yup.”

“Do you know who yet?”

“No idea.”

“That’s crazy, man. You could have _died._ ” Peter chuckled.

“Yeah, Ned. I could have. Almost dying is kind of what I’m in the business for now.”

They arrived in the auditorium and took their seats, Peter and Ned scanning the room for Michelle, to no avail. As soon as they sat down, police officers took the stage and began fiddling with the microphone. 

Suddenly, an intense chill ran up Peter’s spine. Something about this situation was extremely wrong.

Immediately, Peter’s adrenaline kicked in and he was scanning all possible exits, and the best way to get everyone out as quickly as possible. Secret Identities be damned, Peter was going to keep this school safe, at least. He started to absentmindedly fiddle with the bracelets on either wrist.

They had been Mr. Stark’s idea, and one that Peter was extremely grateful for. He had explained his watch equipped to become a repulsor glove, and lended him the materials needed to make the accessories currently adorning his wrists: Little web shooter bracelets. They appeared completely inconspicuous, but had proven time and again to be helpful in a pinch.

The officers finally got the microphone on, tapping it a few times to get everyone’s attention. Their faces were sullen, and Peter’s feeling of dread only got worse.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, we’re extremely sorry to have to call you in today. We intend on taking up as little of your time as we can, but we have some unfortunate news to deliver.”

Ned poked him in the side, and Peter jumped, high enough to get odd stares from those around him. Ned looked him over and decided that whatever he was going to say simply wasn’t worth it.

“Some of you may have noticed that one of your classmates has been out for the past two days, and she may not have been responding to your texts.” Peter took a shuddering breath.

“That is because a student, Michelle Jones, went missing three nights ago, and we have cause to believe she was taken hostage.”

Suddenly, the room was too small for Peter. His heart was racing and his mind going a million miles a second. MJ was being held hostage because of him, it was to get to him, Peter just knew it. Why else would anyone take her?

The large walls were suddenly suffocating and the dim lights were too bright, the quiet chatter was tooloudtoomuchtoomuchtoomuch.

Peter really needed his suit. 

Distantly, the officers were giving advice on what to do if they saw MJ anywhere, but Peter knew that wasn’t going to happen.

He had to get to MJ, quickly. 

Peter yanked out his phone and, forcing himself to take deep breaths, sent a quick message.

Peter (1:24): Mr. Stark I need you to come get me. It’s urgent.

Tony Stark (1:27): How urgent are we talking here?

Peter (1:27): I think I got one of my best friends kidnapped.

Tony Stark (1:28): Give me five minutes. 

Peter could almost breathe a sigh of relief, before remembering that his problem was far from solved. Mr. Stark was a genius, sure, but he could only do so much with the mess going on in his own life. 

Peter dragged himself up before the officers were done, practically sprinting to the bathroom. His breathing was still ragged and sharp, and everything was too much for him. 

Peter leaned over the sink, taking deep breaths until the intercom chimed. 

“Peter Parker, please come to the front office for checkout, Peter Parker to the office for checkout.”

Peter sighed, and sprinted to the science room to get his bag. He shoved everything inside of it, fingers brushing the shredded material of his suit. Even in such poor condition, it gave him comfort. 

When he arrived in the office, Tony was standing there worriedly, facing away from the desk attendant and bluntly avoiding all her obvious passes at him.

As soon as Peter walked towards him, Tony threw an arm over his shoulder and walked him hurriedly out of the cramped office.

“Fill me in, kid. What’s going on?” He asked as soon as they were outside, walking quickly to the very expensive car outside.

“Okay so, uh- They brought us in for an assembly today, and told us that MJ went missing three nights ago, and that they have cause to believe she was taken.”

“Only cause? Think clearly, Peter. Could she have just run away?”

“No, Mr. Stark. No way, she loves it here, even though she doesn’t like to show it.”

“Okay, so she was taken. Are you sure it’s because of you?”

“I’m the only “special” thing she’s around frequently enough for it to be important.” Peter said, throwing himself into the back seat and reminding himself to take deep breaths. Having a panic attack in Mr. Stark’s car would not be ideal by any means. 

“Shit, that poses a real issue, doesn’t it?” Tony mumbled in frustration.

“What do you mean, Mr. Stark?”

“I mean, if somebody took MJ to get to you, somebody who’s still out there knows your identity.” 

“Oh, dear god.” 

Tony nodded. “Yeah. Friday, I need you to have somebody bug Aunt May’s apartment, so we can keep an eye on her.” He said. Peter was shaking, this whole situation was too much. 

It was silent for a moment after the AI’s affirmative response, until Peter cleared his throat and spoke up. “So, what are we going to do?”

Tony was silent for a few moments, and Peter could practically see the gears turning in his head. “What are we going to do?” He asked. “We’re going to get your friend back, and alive.” He replied.

Tony was with him, backing his corner. Peter breathed a little easier, and pulled out his phone to send one final text.

Peter (1:39): Hey Aunt May Mr. Stark checked me out of school because he needs me for a new project. Spiderman will probably be needed. I’ll keep you updated and I’ll stay safe. I’m really sorry. Love you <3

Aunt May (1:42): I guess I can’t stop you, huh? That’s okay, Peter. Just stay safe, please. I love you, too. <3 <3 <3

Peter grinned just a little bit. Aunt May really was a blessing. 

Still, Peter thought as Tony started explaining the risks of this mission, there was work to be done.

Lots of it.

~~~~~


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shit gets real in this chapter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry in advance for the pain this story will inevitably cause in advance. I'll add to the tags as I update to avoid spoilers, but this story will be anything but angst free, don't worry. :P
> 
> I hope you enjoy!

The next days were simultaneously the fastest and slowest Peter had ever been through. Mostly, it consisted of him waiting in the tower while Tony and Steve collected information. They wouldn’t let him in on it, probably out of fear they’d find something that would be too much for Peter to handle. So he stayed in his room.

He couldn’t even patrol because his suit was so torn, and Tony had taken that as soon as they’d arrived in Avengers tower. He had Friday set to alert him if Peter left, so his hands were tied. 

He did, however, busy himself in the workshop. It had been three days and Peter had barely heard anything, so he spent his time avoiding his fear by improving his web shooters, his phone, hell, even his sneakers had gotten an upgrade. Anything he could get his hands on was getting fixed up and improved in some way or another.

That is, until that Monday evening, Steve Rogers strode casually into Peter’s mess of engineering, chuckled softly, and waved Peter over. He spent a moment staring, too shellshocked to move. 

“Peter, come on. We’ve got to fill you in.” Steve said, and Peter jumped, flinging himself off the table he was seated on to follow the taller man’s stride.

“Hey, Mr. Rogers? I’m really, really sorry to ask, but how are you doing?” Peter asked, picking up his pace to walk beside Steve as they made their way through a long hall and into a sleek elevator.

“I’m doing alright, kid. Your missing friend’s giving us a run for our money, though. How are you holding up?”

Peter was silent for a moment as they stepped into the elevator. “Me? Oh, I’m fine. Really, really worried though.”

Steve sighed, shoulders slumping and eyebrows creasing together slightly. 

“Yeah, I know the feeling. But Tony and I, we’ve got experience, and we’re gonna find your friend.” He said. The elevator dinged and its doors slid smoothly open, revealing Tony’s penthouse. Peter’s eyes widened, taking in the grand, dimly lit floor. Tony was sitting on an expensive looking couch, looking out the stretch of glass walls onto the city below. It was silent for a few moments until Steve and Peter stepped out of the elevator, and Tony snapped out of whatever stupor he had thrown himself into. 

 

“Hey, Peter.” Tony mumbled. Peter grinned awkwardly.

“Hi, Mr. Stark.” 

Steve led them to the couch Tony was sitting on, and they all took a seat. Immediately, Tony was thrown into Avenger mode.

“So, Peter. Steve and I have been combing through information, rather painstakingly might I add, for the past three days, and we’ve reached some conclusions.” Steve and Tony both rose and flipped through folders and papers littered around the coffee table. It was Steve who spoke next.

“You’re in serious danger, son. We need to be very careful with how we do this, because if we aren’t, your life could be lost, as well as your friend’s.” Peter sat for a moment, silent.

“What?”

“Somebody wants to get to you, Pete. Real bad.” Tony said. He continued without missing a beat.

“There’s a couple groups of people it could be, but we need to be sure before we go after anyone. We can’t risk chasing the wrong lead only to find out we’re too late. This entire mission has to be handled extremely carefully, and to ensure your safety we can’t let you go home until this is sorted out. We’ve already got it worked out with your school, and our good friend Dr. Banner wrote you notes for any time you’ll be out.” 

Peter’s heart was racing. “So what you’re telling me is that you two spent the last three days searching, and even you guys weren’t able to confirm who took MJ?”

Tony and Steve sighed in unison, both mumbling their affirmatives. 

“Shit, this is worse than I thought.” Peter mumbled, eyes unfocusing as he imagined every horrible way this situation could go wrong. 

“Hey, kid.” Tony said firmly. “Watch your mouth. You’re fifteen.”

Peter flushed. “Sorry, Mr. Stark.” 

Steve grinned sheepishly, eyes flicking over to Tony for a brief moment as though the two were having a full conversation without even speaking. Most likely, that’s exactly what was happening.

“We’ll only tolerate that kind of bullshit in battles.” Tony joked, and Peter chuckled a little. 

“No, we absolutely will not!” Steve protested, only to be playfully shoved by Tony. The couch shifted a little and only then did Peter notice the shield resting underneath it. It was at that exact moment a violent tremor ran down Peter’s spine and through his entire body. His hair stood on end. 

“Guys, we have a situation.” Peter mumbled, and Steve looked around for a moment. Tony checked in the building's security with Friday. 

“Damn it Parker, I should have gotten your suit fixed by now!” Tony cursed, seemingly to himself. Steve crouched behind the table slowly. 

Peter’s nerves only grew more intense, and within moments he was scanning every detail in the room. Tony stood and threw all the folders into a haphazard pile, walking quickly to the bar towards the corner of the room. He locked them in what appeared to be a safe of some sort. The room fell silent for a moment. 

And then a bullet wedged itself into the glass of the penthouse wall. 

“We’ll be fine, right? That glass is near impenetrable.” Steve said, though he picked up his shield while he spoke. Peter, without his suit, was forced to stay behind him.

The bullet beeped. Tony paled.

“Motherfuck, it’s a bomb!” He exclaimed, throwing himself to the ground as Steve threw Peter behind the couch, his own body following. 

As the bullet detonated and the glass shattered, several things happened at once. 

Steve encased Peter’s entire body with his own, shield facing the couch, and subsequently, the bomb. Tony yelled instructions at Friday, who responded with something Peter couldn’t make out. Tony’s suit arrived and encased his body in the protective coating he knew they’d all need to survive this fight. Finally, bullets poured in the window, embedding in the couch and utterly terrifying Peter.

“Steve, get Peter to me!” Tony yelled hoarsely from behind the bar. Steve pulled himself ever so slightly away from his protective stance on Peter. 

“Use my shield, get over there, throw it back.” Steve instructed simply. Peter nodded once, heart racing. He crept to the edge of the couch, and, using the shield to cover as much of himself as possible, sprinted to the other side of the room. 

Bullets clanged against the shield loudly, too loudly, but Peter didn’t stop moving. He made it to the other side of the room, to the bar, and Tony pulled him in. Peter threw the shield back, and Steve made his way to the other side of the couch. 

“Tony, get the kid out of here!” Steve called, and Tony nodded once. “I can handle them until you’re back!” He called.

“Steve, you and I both know I can’t do that safely! We can’t cover him!” Tony hollered in reply.

Before Peter could say anything, Tony was pressing Peter into the corner of the bar, where one side met another to form a sharp angle. 

“This whole area is enforced with Vibranium. Don’t. Move.” Tony gritted, placing a gun on the floor next to Peter.

“You know how to use one, right?” Peter nodded, panicked. “Good. Web them if you can, but if it’s your life or theirs, you know which to pick.” He said, pressing a button to send the face plate back down before he rose and launched himself into the air, flying out into the night sky to secure whatever threat they were facing. Steve was doing his job keeping those on the floor at bay, and the constant stream of bullets had lessened significantly. But not enough.

Peter sat, curled up behind the bar, with tears of terror streaking down his face. His finger traced the barrel of the gun idly, though it provided him with no comfort. Tony and Steve were going to die for him. MJ and Ned were going to die because of him. Aunt May was going to die knowing it was Peter’s fault, and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Even with the suit, he was far from bulletproof. He’d be just as helpless in the suit as he was without, because at the end of the day, he was the target. 

He was who they were firing for. He was going to be the reason two of the strongest Avengers died.

Just as the thought made its way into his head, Steve gave a cry of agony as Tony landed, engaging alongside him. They were being overwhelmed, even though by the sound of it, there were no more than five men left. 

As if on cue, one got the bright idea to search for Peter. Within moments, a woman turned the corner and grinned wickedly. Peter panicked, heart thumping wildly, and tried to web her, only for it to be dodged completely. 

He fiddled with the gun in terror, and the woman raised her own, firing before Peter could do anything but sob in panic. 

Pain ripped through his side, white hot and excruciating. Peter’s vision blurred, and the only things he was able to see was the woman stepping towards him, only to see her hit by a beam, hard. 

And then there was Tony, drawing Peter into his arms and tugging him close, pressing a cloth to the wound to keep him from bleeding out, and paging a doctor. 

His head hit Tony’s chest before he could even determine whether they were secure or not, and the world was encased in darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As per usual, kudos, comments, and feedback are greatly appreciated and make my day!
> 
> Love you all, have a great day!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an explanation is provided

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is when shit gets real, but ALSO we get some 10/10 Irondad and spiderson fluff. I'm doing my best, and I love sleepy Peter more than words can say.

When Peter awoke, the first thing to register was a pounding headache. 

Fluorescent lights buzzed softly overhead, and Peter quickly decided that conflicted too much with the sound of his heart monitor beeping, and the feel of the gown didn’t match the feel of the bed or the pillows, and the cold air was _toomuchtoomuchtoomuch._

Tony walked in hurriedly, small strips of medical tape holding together what appeared to be a stitched up browbone, a deep cut running from the bottom of his brow to right up against his hairline. It looked nasty, just a little too deep for comfort. Peter had become far too familiar with those over the years. 

He sat down at a chair next to the bed, scooting it closer and looking Peter up and down as though checking for more undetected injuries. “Hey, Pete. I’m sorry.” Was all he said. Peter nodded, though the movement sent pain shooting through his skull.

“It’s okay, Mr. Stark. You didn’t attack me, it’s fine.” He said, and the movement of his jaw felt foreign, new. 

Tony smiled humorlessly. “Thanks, kid. Good news is we know who’s coming after you. Bad news is, they’re gonna be a bitch to fight.” Peter frowned.

“Who?”

Tony grimaced. “Some old pals of Steve’s, they go by the Sisters Of Sin. Real darlings, let me tell you.” He said. Peter’s brow furrowed.

“Is that who shot me?” He asked. Tony shrugged.

“One of them. We have her now, but we’ve gotta keep constant watch. They’ve infiltrated SI, and we’ve got no way to know who’s who until it’s too late.” 

“So, what do we do?” Peter asked. Tony’s face fell even further, if that were possible.

“Do you want the long answer or the short answer?”

“Fill me in on everything we know.”

“Oh, great. Okay, so the plan is for you to stay only around people you trust. Right now, that’s just Avengers and Happy. We all know what we’re doing with mind control well enough to resist for the most part.”

“Wait, Mr. Stark. Mind control?”

“Yeah, Peter. It ain’t gonna be fun, getting rid of these girls.”

“Yeah.”

“Anyway, we’ve got plans in effect right now. Most of the other Avengers are out hunting for these girls, checking known accomplices, making rounds with previous hideouts. I have Pepper doing everything she can to weed out those under Sin’s control. She’s the ring leader, and we know she’s here somewhere. We have to get ahold of her first, though.” 

Peter’s eyes widened. At this point, he was feeling a lot more awake than before.

“We’ve got a lot going on, Peter. It’s our top priority, because whatever these girls want you for, it ain’t good. Oh, by the way, the one we’re holding right now is Raunch. She’s the reason you fell asleep so fast, which, thank god. Your heart pumps you fast had you not have passed out this whole situation would be a lot worse. Luckily for you, you’ve got a healing factor strong enough to get you back on your feet in another couple hours.”

Peter sighed in relief, starting to stretch his muscles out a bit. 

“So, the plan of attack is to get you a working suit, find the other sisters, kick their asses, and get MJ back.”

Peter groaned as he cracked his back. “That seems grossly oversimplified.”

Tony grinned a little, the ghost of a full smile. Peter realised he couldn’t remember the last time he had seen the man really, truly laugh. “It is.” He replied. “Come on, let’s get you up and in a new suit. I’m working on something I think you’ll like.” He said, and Peter pulled himself out of the bed, wincing as Tony held out his arm for support. 

He was cleared to go and handed a pile of clothes to change into, and only upon going to the bathroom did he realise just how bad his condition was. 

A purpling bruise spread across his temple, though it likely looked a lot worse a few hours ago. There was a nasty cut across his collarbone that Peter didn’t even remember getting. His hair was a mess, and deep bags rested under his eyes.

Still, he changed, ignoring the bullet hole completely, and dashed out to meet Tony. The two made their way down into the workshop Peter had become extremely familiar with over the past months, and as he opened the door, his jaw dropped.

Inside, on a mannequin, was Peter’s new suit. As he looked it over, he turned back to Tony. “You did this in two days?” He asked.

Tony shrugged. “More or less. Try it on, I’ve got some stuff to show you. 

Peter hurried to do as he was told, and as soon as the new suit was on, he could feel that it would serve its purpose wonderfully.

“After last night, I had to figure something safer out for you. This one works like my suit. It’ll come to you, but for obvious reasons, it’s not gonna put itself on. That being said, I made a slight upgrade.” Tony said, and he turned on a dime, throwing a small, sharp knife at Peter. He was too shocked to react, but the blade hit him dead on and he didn’t budge. Tony grinned proudly at Peter’s shocked response.

“How did you do that?” He asked incredulously.

“Vibranium woven into the threads. It’s still extremely flexible, but now, Spidey, you’re pretty much bulletproof an anything but point blank range.” He said. Peter grinned wide and went for a test run, climbing the high walls and swinging from one to the other. Eventually, he came down, and Tony sobered up.

“Alright, that’s great and all, but we have work to do now.” Tony said. Peter nodded and changed back out of the suit, keeping it in the lab and inserting the chip made to call the suit into his bracelets.

They went down even further, and into a floor Peter wasn’t even aware existed. It wasn’t on the elevator buttons, that was for sure. 

Tony sighed heavily and pulled Peter aside in a dimly lit, mostly metal hallway.

“I need to tell you some things.” Tony said. Peter nodded.

“The girl I was telling you about earlier, SIn, she’s incredibly dangerous. So is the rest of her team. You’re familiar with Hydra, no?”

Peter gulped, but nodded. “Yessir, I am.”

“Good. Sin is Red Skull’s daughter. She and “sisters” don’t play. We’re going to have you under constant surveillance, for security’s sake. But every single one of them can and will mess with your mind. Even Raunch, when she’s blindfolded, is going to pose an issue to you. She’s unbelievably powerful, and you’re not used to mind control by any means.” 

“No sir, I’m not.” Tony looked down, Meeting Peter’s gaze and clapping a hand to his shoulder.

“I need you to promise me that no matter what you do, you won’t go after MJ or the Sisters without someone else. I know, you’re independent. You’re strong, Petey, I don’t doubt that. But these girls have been around a hell of a lot longer than you have, and they’re too strong for you to take on alone. I know it seems like this is taking longer than it has to, but we’re moving as fast as we can.” Tony pulled his hand away, and Peter nodded hastily.

“Yes, Mr. Stark. I understand you perfectly, I’m not going after anybody without you.” Peter reassured. This whole situation was worse than he thought. MJ was being held by Red Skull’s fucking _daughter_ because of him. God, he really was an awful person. 

Tony went ahead of him, sliding open an industrial metal door after scanning his retina and giving a password. 

Behind the door was a scene Peter would give any amount to never live again.

Inside was an observation room, and past that was a single chair, which the woman from last night was tied up to. Her eyes were covered.

“She’s basically Medusa but with sleep.” Tony explained. 

And she was screaming. Horrible, blood curdling screeches that burned in Peter’s ears. Tony instinctively pulled Peter nearer to him. 

Almost instantly, a thought hit Peter. 

_MJ’s dead because of you._

“What the Hell?” Peter asked, blinking hard a few times. The thoughts in his mind weren’t his. Peter was no stranger to intrusive thoughts, but this was a whole new level.

Tony sighed. He pressed a button on a device in his ear.

“Steve, I told you this wasn’t a good idea.”

Peter could just barely make out Steve’s muffled response.

“We have to get him acclimated somehow.” He replied. “Besides, we’re interrogating some people upstairs and it’s not a scene to bring him into.” 

Tony worriedly ran a hand through his own hair, eyes closing tight. He hung up the line with Steve and turned back to Peter.

“Pete, listen to me-” The rest of his words became white noise as another voice spoke out. 

_Aunt May is dying as we speak._

Fear ripped through Peter, his breath becoming more irregular. Raunch was still screaming, and Tony was trying to say something to him, but it was lost.

_You deserve to die for what you did you them. For what you’re doing to her._

“No, stop it!” Peter cried out, vaguely aware of his own knees giving out from under him and him crumpling to the floor. Tony was pulling him up, talking to him, yelling at Raunch. It wasn’t helping. Vaguely, he could hear him yelling at Steve to let him pull Peter out. Steve insisted it was safe.

_Tony hates you. Can you blame him? You’re worthless, nothing but a burden._

“Get out of my head!” Peter shouted, sobbing intensely. Tony pulled him into his arms, pressing him close.

_You’re a liability. Everyone around you is going to die because you aren’t strong enough to protect them. Just like your dear old Uncle Ben._

“No, stop! Please, please, stop it! Get out of my head!”

“I’m taking him out.” Tony said sternly, scooping Peter off the floor and squeezing him close to his chest. Peter sobbed uncontrollably, eyes wrenched shut as Raunch’s words permeated through every fragment of his thought, until it was all that was left.

The door slid shut behind Tony, and he and Peter slumped to the ground. Tony held him even closer than before, pulling Peter’s head up against his chest and carding fingers through his hair.

“Peter, she’s trying to get to you. It’s not real. Whatever she said, she’s lying, I promise you. You’re safe, Petey. I’ve got you.” Tony mumbled, keeping a constant stream of comfort. 

Slowly, Raunch’s words seeped out of his head, and he became more aware of his surroundings. Tears still flowed freely down his face, but he was aware enough to realise it was Tony holding him. 

“Hey, kid. It’s Tony, I’ve got you, you’re safe. Listen to my heartbeat. You’re okay.” He said, slowly lifting Peter back into his arms and leading them to the elevator, taking them to the floor he knew Tony slept on. 

Tony carried Peter through the halls, and into a large room with a bed bigger than any Peter had ever seen. It didn’t fully register. He would have time to be impressed later. Right now, he was sobbing.

“Friday, turn the lights down.”

_“Yes, sir.”_

On cue, the lights dimmed and Tony set Peter down on the bed. He began to pull away, but Peter shook and gripped Tony tighter.

“I’m sorry, Mr. Stark. Please stay?” Peter mumbled. Tony nodded.

“Of course, kid. I got your back, no matter what. I’m not gonna let anything happen to you.”

Peter nodded, exhaustion suddenly hitting him like a truck.

“Thank you, Mr. Stark.”

Distantly, he heard Tony chuckle. 

“Any time, kid.”

And he slipped into a quiet, almost peaceful sleep for the first time in days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what are your thoughts on the story now that it's progressing a little more? Let me know, I love feedback!
> 
> Have a great day! <3


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> HAH SORRY

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So Clint is in this chapter, and some sign names are exchanged. Just so you know, this is Clint's sign name:  
> https://www.signingsavvy.com/sign/ARCHERY/909/1 Except at the end his dominant hand pulls in a C and his non dominant pulls into a B (as in his initials)
> 
> and Peter's:  
> http://lifeprint.com/asl101/pages-signs/s/stubborn.htm But it pulls into a P that he drags down a few inches (also his intials)

Peter awoke to eyes sore from crying, and a small pile of items on the bedside table.One was his phone, and then two notes. Peter picked up the one on top and read it quickly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes.

_“Call your aunt, read the other note, then clean yourself up. Meet me in the commons on this floor when you’re ready. I’ll have breakfast. -T.S.”_

Peter almost grinned, but opted to pick up the phone and dial for his Aunt before he had time to feel guilty about all the things Tony was doing for him.

“Hey, Peter! How are you?” Aunt May’s voice chimed over the line. Peter grinned wide.

“Hi, Aunt May. I’m doing good. Tired, and busy, but good.” 

“That’s good to hear. When am I gonna get you back over here?” She asked. Peter grimaced.

“To be perfectly honest? I have no idea, May. I’m really sorry, it’s just super busy over here and we’ve got a lot of work to do.” Peter could practically hear her deflate over the phone.

“That’s alright, Peter. Don’t worry about it, I’ll be okay. I’m gonna go get ready for work, but call me when you can, okay?”

“Yeah, of course. I love you, May.” 

“Love you too, Petey.”

Peter clicked the phone off, ending the call and picking up the other letter before he had a chance to debate. 

_Peter,_

_I’m really sorry I’m not giving all of this to you in person, I just know that tomorrow’s gonna be really busy. I figure it’s good to have to written out for you to process and all that._

_Right out the gate, I want to say I’m sorry for last night. I didn’t know Raunch would have such a strong effect on you, and I should have been more prepared. I know how powerful the sisters are. I’m sorry._

_While I’m on the topic, the sisters are extremely proficient in telepathy and I want you to understand how that works. They’ve mastered the ability of putting thoughts, extremely intrusive thoughts, in people’s heads to make them think what they want. They know how to get to you, and they do their research, so the stuff they say can hit pretty close to home. Trust me, I’ve been there._

_We kept you in there because Steve fought them first, and he got past their powers by forcing himself through it until he was able to block it out. He had us do the same. We didn’t know they would have that strong of an effect on you. Obviously, you’re a little too young for this. Not your fault, we’ll figure something out. There’s always a way._

_That being said, we’re playing in a whole different ball park than what you’re used to. We’re gonna do everything we can to keep you safe, but there’s only so much we can show you in the time we have. Regardless, I assure you that your Aunt, and your friends, and (obviously) you, are in the best hands we can provide. They’re all safe._

_(By the way, don’t thank me for last night. Just taking care of you. Also, we have a lead on MJ’s location. Now go shower. You’re gross.)_

_-Tony_

Peter reread the letter until he was sure he had it memorized word for word, and then took a brisk shower in the bathroom attached. He dressed quickly, and dashed out to the common rooms. As promised, there was Tony, sat beside Steve, both sipping coffee and pouring over files. As soon as he walked in, they both snapped themselves out of it and gestured to the practical feast sitting out over the table.

“Team meeting.” Tony offered as an explanation, which left Peter completely flustered. 

“Wait, I’m gonna get to meet the rest of the team? I’m a part of the team?” Steve grinned.

“As of now, yes.” He replied. Peter flushed and piled his plate high as Clint, Natasha, and Banner walked in in perfect unison. Each held a cup of coffee, though Clint’s appeared to be about three times as big as the other’s. 

They all sat down, and Friday got ready to translate for Clint, projecting a live feed of the words being said on the wall. Clint smiled and took a seat after grabbing a single piece of toast. Once all seated, Tony began.

“So, we learned last night that Peter is highly susceptible to the sisters’ telepathy, and we don’t quite have time to do anything about it. Last night, we had a flush of about twenty different employees we found under Sin’s control. They’ve all been dismissed to rehab, and we’ll be seeing them again as soon as this is over.”

Steve chimed in. “As for now, the plan stands: Find those in SI under control, get ahold of Sin, find MJ, get her out. Speaking of, when we go, we want to take Clint.” He nodded, and Peter turned to him.

 _“I know sign.”_ Peter signed, and Clint’s face lit up.

 _“Thank god. Makes talking much easier”_ He responded, and Peter grinned. Tony looked impressed.

“What? We have a class at school. I thought it was interesting, so I took it.” He explained, and Natasha cleared her throat to get the meeting back on track, though she also looked amused by the whole situation.

“Anyways-” Tony continued. “-We have a lot to do. A lot of fighting. I’d recommend staying in pairs, it’s gonna be all Sin can do to hold one of us down at a time. I’ll stay with Peter.” The team nodded, no real complaints offered.

Tony and Steve went over details, locations, and attack strategies. Peter understood approximately zero of them. They finished up about ten minutes later and sat in silence for a moment. Peter relished it while it lasted. Silence was a privilege recently, far from the right it was barely eight months ago.

“Is that all?” Bruce asked. Tony and Steve thought over it.

“Yeah, I think so. It was quick, but that’s okay. I’ve sent everyone their specific instructions, so nobody has an excuse.”

“Yeah, yeah, we get it Tony.” Natasha piped up. Everyone stood and gathered their things, and Clint stepped over for a moment, pulling Peter along with him.

 _“How’re you doing?”_ He signed. Peter sighed, and replied, sparing a glance at Steve and Tony. They were sitting close together, whispering something that looked urgent. He turned back to Clint.

 _“Scared.”_ He admitted, face flushing as he did so. Clint nodded once, twice.

 _“I understand. I’ve been where you are now.”_ Clint signed. He himself glanced over at Tony and Steve. The four of them were the only ones left in the room. Clint turned to block them from Peter’s view.

 _“Tony can sign, and I’ll never see the end if he sees me tell you this. Trust him. He cares about you so much.”_ Peter looked from Clint’s hands to his face, searching for a lie somewhere. Something to tell him this wasn’t real. He found nothing.

 _“You’re an amazing kid, and Tony’s not gonna let anything happen to you. Steve, either.”_ Peter smiled sadly.

 _“Thanks, Mr. Barton.”_ Peter took the time to finger spell it, and Clint chucked. 

_“My name’s Clint.”_ He replied, showing Peter his name sign. The sign for archer, but pulling his dominant hand into a C shape and his non-dominant into a B. Peter grinned.

 _“Peter.”_ He signed back. His own had been given to him by a deaf girl at school who had helped him an unbelievable amount. It was the sign for determined or stubborn, flicked into a P at the end which he dragged down a few inches. It made Clint chuckle.

 _“It suits you.”_ Clint responded. He pulled Peter into a quick hug and signed his goodbyes to everyone, leaving just as Pepper entered. Her heels clacked against the floor, and she confidently strode in to meet with Tony and Steve. She sat down, pecking Tony on the cheek and taking his hand. Peter sat down as she started talking.

“We have no idea where Sin is, and we’ve concluded that she and hoodwink are both in the building. Hoodwink’s a master of perception altering, so she can make anyone see whatever she wants. They takes disguises very seriously and Sin’s extremely skilled with intangibility.” 

“Even if we find the sisters, we still have to get them down. There’s six of them, five that we haven’t located.” 

Friday’s voice chimed in the hall, announcing a notification for Tony. 

_“Four that we haven’t located, Mr. Rogers. SIn was just spotted on a monitor on the eighteenth floor. I’ve got cameras tracking her heat signature now, and it is recommended you call in the rest of the team for the fight.”_ She said smoothly. Steve, Tony, and Pepper all stood in unison, the three rushing to secure important documents and get their weapons. Tony called his suit.

“Friday, I need you to lock everything down. She can’t fly, so if we keep her on one floor-”

 _“Done, sir.”_ Tony nodded once, twice as his suit arrived and he stepped into it. Steve had his shield and was strapping on shoes that looked practically impenetrable.

Pepper took Peter by the arm. “I can take him to a safer floor.” Tony shook his head.

“It’s okay, Pep. I can get him to a safer floor.” Peter wasn’t even able to argue that he wanted to fight, not after what had happened the day before. Still, Peter used the bracelet to call his suit. Tony subtly nodded his approval.

“Tony, please. You have a fight waiting downstairs. Go.” Peter’s suit arrived. He caught it smoothly and immediately tugged his shirt off to change. Tony sighed in exasperation.

“Fine. Make sure he’s safe, though.” He reminded. Pepper nodded. “Of course.” Tony and Steve both went down a hall, with Friday letting them down to where they needed to be.

Pepper took Peter, now in his suit, to the elevator. His hair was raised, his senses heightening. Something was going to happen. Even Pepper seemed to notice, as she had on a tight smile that made her appear almost… Cocky? Peter’s heart raced.

The elevator closed, and Pepper turned to Peter without missing a beat. She carded a hand through his hair, eyes condescending. Peter realised belatedly that something was absolutely wrong.

“Oh, Peter.” Pepper cooed. “If only Tony had insisted.” She said. Her hand tightened in his hair, dragging him towards the wall. 

Peter panicked, but quickly regained his calm as he dodged a punch. They went back and forth for a moment before the elevator door slid sleekly open, and Peter was thrown out into the hall. He slid a few feet until his body collided hard with the linoleum wall. They were on a storage floor. 

Peter scrambled to his feet as Pepper strode towards him, but as she walked, her appearance shifted. She wasn’t Pepper.

“Hoodwink.” Peter mumbled, and the woman laughed, grabbing him by the collar and shoving him to the wall.

“You got it.” She sneered, punching Peter in the gut repeatedly. He grimaced, gasping for breath as Hoodwink wrapped her fist around his throat. Peter gasped for breath, struggling and kicking for oxygen. Peter got in one well placed punch to her kidney, and she went carrening backwards. 

Peter slumped over, sucking in lungfuls of air just as Steve turned the corner.

His face fell into one of sheer rage as he took in the scene before him, blue eyes turning to ice. Without a second thought, he threw his shield at Hoodwink. It hit her dead in the stomach and she flew back into the wall. And then there were more of her.

Peter whimpered as Hoodwink seemed to multiply, filling every space in the room. Eventually, Peter watched helplessly as Steve morphed into the same figure as well.

“Cap, what’s happening?” He cried out, throwing desperate punches at every version that got close to him, only for his hand to phase through them. He could hear Hoodwink laughing, but he couldn’t tell where it was from.

“Peter, listen to me!” Steve hollered, and Peter could see the shield cutting through the air to hit on of the many. Peter locked his eyes onto her. She was the real one.

“The one I just hit is real, don’t take your eyes off of her!” He yelled, placing a large hand on the back of Peter’s neck. Peter startled, but leaned into the touch. Hoodwink cried out in frustration and let up on the mirage over Steve, and Peter panted as he gazed forward, determined. 

Together, he and Steve ran forward, until Peter was eventually able to throw a punch. And then more, enough that Hoodwink fell to the ground, coughing and gasping for breath. 

Peter stopped and turned, looking to Steve for what to do.

Yet again, the scene shifted. This time, as Peter’s heart dropped into his stomach, he knew it was real.

The person Peter had thought was Steve fazed back into the figure of a woman, to Hoodwink. The person Peter had been fighting shifted into a familiar face. Steve’s.

He was on the ground, clutching at a wound in his shoulder and gasping for breath. He was speaking, Peter realised. Begging. 

Begging for Hoodwink to stop. Telling Peter he wasn’t going to fight him. Telling Peter he would rather die than hurt him. 

Heart racing, Peter turned towards Hoodwink. She had a wicked grin across her face, red hair unruly, although she looked tired.

Peter saw the opportunity and took it, quickly webbing Hoodwink’s legs together and roping her to the ceiling, getting in enough punches to pull away her knife and web her arms to the rest of her body. Quickly, he turned to Steve.

“How do I get her to stop?” He asked frantically. Steve groaned in pain for a moment.

“Just, Jesus Christ, just web her temples. It sounds dumb, but that’s where she sends the mirages from.” He groaned. Peter did as he was told without hesitation and ran to Steve, dragging him up against a wall and applying pressure to his wound. 

“Friday? It’s Peter. What do I do?” Friday’s calm voice filled the room, reminding Peter to take deep breaths.

_“Stay where you are. Mr. Stark is on his way. Sin fled the building before anyone could get ahold of her. Keep applying pressure to Mr. Rogers wound.”_

“Thank you.” Peter rushed out, pulling off his mask in order to focus better.

Steve winced as Peter pressed harder, but made sure he didn’t stop.

“God Mr. Rogers, I’m so so sorry I didn’t know it was you I thought it was her and then she stabbed you and-”

“-Peter, stop.” Steve commanded. Peter fell completely silent. “You did amazing. What you did just there? You beat one of the sisters, and you wore her out enough that she wasn’t able to control you. Interacting with the mirages helps to do that faster. Peter, I couldn’t have done it better myself.”

“But, Mr. Rogers, I _hurt_ you.”

“But you didn’t know. Peter, where’s Hoodwink right now?”

“On the ceiling.” Peter mumbled. Steve grinned and nodded.

“Exactly. You did great.”

It was quiet for a beat before the elevator slid open and, as if on cue, Tony stepped out.

“They had Pepper tied up. Natasha’s got ahold of her now, and they’re checking her over for wounds. Rogers, you’re about to do the same thing.” 

Steve didn’t argue, letting Peter help him up and dragging himself to the elevator door. They both watched as Tony yanked off Hoodwink’s webbing and clipped a device onto her temples. 

“Courtesy of Banner and I. Stops them from using their abilities while it’s on.” He explained. He hooked strong looking handcuffs onto her wrists, and yanked her down from the ceiling. As she hit the floor, Tony kneed her in the forehead and she passed out. He grabbed her by the handcuffs and pulled her into the elevator, Peter and Steve following.

“What does this mean for the plan?” Peter asked. Tony cursed under his breath.

“It’s gonna make things a hell of a lot harder on us. We don’t know where Sin is, but at least we’ve got two of them with us. Clint and Natasha keep saying they’re close to tracking down Slash or Torso.”

“Who’re they?” Peter questioned.

“The muscle of their while operation.” Steve answered.

“Wait, so she _wasn’t_ the muscle?” Peter asked, rubbing over some bruises and bumps.

Tony chuckled humorlessly. “Far from it, kid. I told you, we’re going after some strong ones.” He said. The elevator opened to the medical wing. 

“Before you go.” Tony said. “Friday, has Peter sustained any pressing injuries?” There was a brief pause.

 _“Not that I can detect, no.”_ The electronic voice chimed. Steve nodded.

“Yeah, take him with you. Talk to him.” Steve stepped out of the elevator.

“Talk to me about what?” Tony clapped an arm on his shoulder.

“Let’s get her downstairs and you’ll see.” He said.

The doors slid shut and they headed downstairs into the basement level. As soon the the doors opened, Hoodwink was slid into the hall where some officials bearing logos Peter didn’t recognize dragged her away, down the same hall Peter recognized as leading to the rooms from the previous night.

Tony led him into a seperate, empty corridor and sat down on a bench. Peter followed.

“How’re you holding up, kid?” Tony asked. Peter thought for a moment, fiddling with a hem on his suit.

“Not too good, if I’m honest.” He replied softly. Tony hummed in agreement.

“Yeah, I would be shocked if you were doing okay, kiddo. You’ve been through a lot, and now this whole thing with your girlfriend, it’s rough. But I swear to you, we’re gonna get to her.” 

“Mr. Stark, she’s not my girlfriend.” Tony looked surprised.

“Really? Isn’t she the one I took out to dinner with us that one time?”

“Yessir.”

“No shit, I would have bet on you two being together.” Peter shrugged.

“But you like her, no?” Tony asked. Peter stared at his shoes.

“I mean, I do-” Tony smiled softly and threw an arm over Peter’s shoulder.

“She is so into you, Peter.” Tony reassured, pulling him closer. Peter sighed.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” He mumbled, dragging his shoes across the floor.

“I want you to promise me something, kid.” Peter pulled his gaze from his shoes up to Tony, eyebrows furrowed in question.

“When we get MJ back, you’re gonna ask her out.”

“I can’t do that, Mr. Stark! Do you know how that would go?” Tony smiled.

“Yes, I do. It would go wonderfully. Give it a shot.” He encouraged. Peter frowned for a moment, contemplating. Tony held out his pinkie finger. Peter chuckled.

“How old are we, four?” He asked. Tony smiled. Really, genuinely smiled. _”That’s new”_ some part of Peter thought.

“We are now!” He replied. Peter smiled sheepishly and pulled his arm out from where it was resting.

He took Tony’s pinkie with his own, and shook a few times. 

“We’re gonna get MJ back, and I’m gonna ask her out.” Peter repeated, feeling a grin stretch across his face at saying it out loud.

Tony’s own smiled didn’t fade, even for a second. 

“Damn straight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So things are heating up....
> 
> Feedback is greatly appreciated! Comments/Kudos/Bookmarks make me SO happy, and I love to see what you guys think!
> 
> Have a great day! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorrynotsorry :)

That night, Peter was sleepless. It had been almost a week. Six entire days, and they were just getting to what was _going on._ It would be days until they would get to MJ. At least, that’s what Peter had assumed.

It was about four in the morning when Peter was awoken by his door clicking open. Immediately, he jumped up and began feeling on the bedside table for his web shooters.

“Hey kid, easy.” It was Tony. Peter relaxed. He stepped in.

“Why are you up?” Tony asked as Peter stood and zipped up a hoodie, clipping on the bracelets.

“I could ask you the same.” Peter replied instead of answering. Tony scoffed.

“No, you absolutely could not. I’m an adult. And you’re fifteen.” He replied. Peter looked at the ground, chewing on the inside of his lip.

“Why’d you wake me up?” Tony was already walking out of the room, gesturing for Peter to follow.

“We were looking through all of our files last night, because it had been so long we had to have overlooked something, right?” Peter nodded, keeping up with Tony’s brisk pace and trying not to trip over his own feet in the dim hall. 

“So it’s Steve, Clint and I, and we’re all hopelessly lost. Natasha’s out doing work for Fury, so we can’t use her tracking expertise. Steve said Bucky probably wouldn’t be able to handle tracking anybody like that down without getting mad flashbacks, so he was out of the question. Banner just straight up said no, that this isn’t his forte. Who knows what Thor’s doing. So we’re struggling to figure this out, when Friday gives us an urgent message. Says they found Slash on a security camera at some gas station in New Jersey, and tracked the sisters to an old warehouse. So, we’re taking everyone available and we’re going to find them. That includes you.” Tony said, and Peter practically jumped out of his skin.

“Wait, Mr. Stark, you mean I can actually go with you guys?” Tony looked confused.

“Well, yeah, I mean she’s your friend, and who knows what Suprema’s done to her. If it’s bad, you’re out best chance as getting her back.” His face went from mildly amused to heartbroken as he spoke, and Peter stopped dead as they approached the elevator. 

“What do you mean, “Getting her back?”” Peter asked, fear coursing through his veins. Tony paused. 

“Kid, Suprema’s one of the strongest women of our time. She’s unbelievably good at hypnosis, and will not hesitate to use if it benefits her, somehow.” 

Peter could almost feel the floor drop out from under him. He numbly stepped into the elevator, ignoring the sympathetic looks Tony gave him. Something in his eyes said he had been there. Peter didn’t care, and hot tears flowed freely down his cheeks. The elevator opened back up in a garage level, where a few other Avengers stood or loaded equipment into a large van. 

Peter stumbled out onto the floor and let himself sink against a pillar to the ground, ignoring the inquisitive looks of other Avengers. Steve, Tony, Clint, and Bucky were all going with him. 

“What’s wrong with the kid?” He heard Steve asking. Tony sighed heavily.

“I told him about Suprema.” He responded simply. Peter ground the heels of his palms into his eyes and tried to shut his thoughts out, but Raunch’s words permeated through his skull.

_MJ’s dead because of you._

_You deserve to die for what you did you them. For what you’re doing to her._

_You’re a liability._

_They’re going to die because of you._

Peter couldn’t stop the thoughts before they came, and he sat on the floor crying for what felt like an eternity before he felt a presence next to him. He pulled his hands away and wiped his eyes, trying his best to focus on the archer crouched in front of him.

 _“Hey. Scary, I know.”_ Clint smiled weakly, and Peter nodded.

 _“Yeah, What if she’s dying because of me?”_ Clint shook his head vigorously.

 _“She’s not. We’ve got a good track record with this stuff.”_ Peter tried to stop the tears, and still his shaking hands well enough to respond, but he couldn’t. So Clint kept signing.

 _“Out of all of us, you wouldn’t believe the number of people that have been hypnotized in some way. Bucky, Tony, Natasha, Steve. Hell, even me. We’re all alive.”_ He signed. Peter took a few deep breaths and nodded a few times.

 _“That’s good to hear.”_ Peter signed. Clint smiled warmly.

 _“Yeah. Besides, for everyone that isn’t you, this is operation: Save The Kids. That means you and MJ, equally. We’ve got this.”_ Peter signed his agreement and took Clint’s extended hand, pulling himself up. He dusted himself off, wiping his eyes one last time and looking around.

“Is this everybody?” He asked.

“Should be. Let’s head out.” Steve said. Tony agreed, and everybody pulled themselves into the van. It was sleek and modern, with seat attached to the wall around the edge, leaving the floor open for weapons, suit, med kits, and cases of water. Peter noted that there were, in fact, seatbelts. He buckled up. Clint grinned at him.

 _“Responsible.”_ He signed. Peter laughed.

_“Always.”_

As soon as they were seated, Tony booted up Friday, signing at Clint to leave Peter alone in the snarkiest way possible. It made all three of them laugh, and Bucky and Steve looked on in confusion. The car started moving completely on its own while everybody settled in. There was a small screen on the back of the passenger’s seat, displaying everything people were saying. Presumably so Clint could better be a part of conversation. Peter was admittedly pretty impressed.

“Wait, your AI drives?” Peter asked. Tony nodded like it was the simplest thing in the world.

“Of course it does, have you met Tony? If he can make a computer do something for him, he will.” Bucky chimed up from his seat next to Steve. 

“I’m an innovator.” Tony defended, crossing his arms over his chest like a child. 

“Yeah, sure.” Steve muttered lightheartedly. Tony threw his hands up in mock frustration. 

“Not fair, I can’t fight two super soldiers at once!” He exclaimed, and Bucky flipped him off. Tony smacked him upside the head, and everyone laughed. 

The mood was bright for a few hours as Friday drove, and it only got better when Clint revealed that he had snuck snacks in his duffle bag. Everyone took some, and through mouthfuls of food they joked until a thought hit Peter.

“Why is the mood so light if we’re all going to fight? Like, we could _die._ The tone is awfully jovial.” He said without thinking, and he understood as soon as everyone heard. It was silent and tense, and Peter’s mind immediately went to what he could lose. Nobody moved for a few beats. Finally, Bucky spoke up.

“We go into fights as a unit, right? A unit that knows each other pretty well. We figure that if we’re going to die, this would be the best way to spend out last hours. This makes it easier to come to terms with what’s going on. We all have a lot to lose, but at least while we’re here this is what matters.”

“And-” Tony added. “Nobody is going to die. Not today, sure as hell not in this fight.” He said. 

Peter thought for a moment, and eventually nodded.

“Yeah. Yeah, you guys are right. I’m sorry.”

 _“It’s fine, kid. I wondered the same for a while.”_ Clint signed. 

Peter contemplated for a few moments while the others returned to their conversations. He settled and pulled his phone out, texting before he had a chance to stop himself.

_Peter (6:14 a.m) : Hey, Ned. Abt to head into a pretty dangerous fight to get MJ back. Sorry I haven’t been talking more, it’s just realllllly busy around here. I don’t know how it’s gonna go just yet, so if I don’t see you for a while, or… Ever, just know that you’re the best. Love u dude._

Peter didn’t let himself reread the message before hitting send, and flipping open a new message.

_Peter: (6:18 a.m) : Morning, Aunt May! I know I’m not supposed to tell you this, but I’m about to head into a pretty dangerous fight to get MJ back. I really have no idea what’s gonna happen or how it’s gonna go, so if it’s a little while until I get the chance to see you again, just know how much I love you. You’re so amazing, May. Thank you for being so good to me, I’m sorry I couldn’t be a better kid. I love you so so so much, May. This isn’t the end <3_

Before he could get a response from either of them, Peter shut down his phone. Tony handed out comms, explaining to Peter how they worked so he could communicate alone with everybody else. He explained that Friday would be connected to Clint’s thoughts, so whatever came through in her voice was Clint’s direction.

As if on cue, the van parked about 300 yards from the warehouse and everybody rushed to get themselves ready. Peter quickly changed, and when he came back the atmosphere was extremely different from what it had been before. Tony’s frown was defined, and Steve and Bucky stood strapping weapons onto each other. If anybody else noticed how their touches lingered and gazes drank in each other’s presence, nobody said anything. Clint took a few deep breaths, and signaled for everybody else. 

Peter slid his mask over his eyes, filtering out all the sensory input he didn’t need until all he could focus on was the task ahead. 

Clint gave a motion and the group dispersed, working together without speaking. They didn’t have to in situations like this. Tony launched himself into the air, keeping a close eye on everybody, and on the warehouse ahead. 

“They’re gonna know we’re coming, so be ready to walk into a fight.” Tony instructed. There was a loud crash, and a small string of expletives from Tony as a female figure rose into the air and launched herself at him. 

“They already know we’re here. I would move a little faster.” Tony exclaimed, and the group on the ground launched themselves into action.

Steve and Bucky ran side by side, in near perfect unison, ahead of Peter and Clint. Steve pulled his shield from his back as he ran, seemingly understanding that they would be taking the first hits. 

Peter wasn’t far behind them, with Clint following a few feet behind. As they got closer, it became clear that they Sisters were ready for them.

“Peter, if this goes south, _get out._ ” Tony instructed.

“Yeah.” He agreed, brain too focused on what was ahead of him to respond any more eloquently.

Steve and Bucky met Slash and Torso, standing back to back and throwing punches together. The two seemed to know exactly what to do and when while they fought together, helping each other out every time the other needed it. The two fought like one being, a well oiled machine. Peter stopped wondering why Ned always asked if the two were dating.

Peter’s thoughts were cut off when he got close enough to web himself to the wall, swinging into the building through a hole where it looked like there had been a fire. Clint followed on the ground, explaining over the comms that he was covering Peter.

“Peter, get MJ and go.” Tony grunted. Peter swung through the ceiling beams of the warehouse as silently as he could. There was seemingly nothing spare some debris scattered across the floor. 

Then there was a movement. Just a small stir, but enough for Peter and Clint to both pick up on it. They slowly crept towards it, silently as possible. Clint raised his bow. All was still.

Suprema cackled and threw herself out from behind her cover. She wasted no time launching herself towards Peter, tanging herself with him as she struggled to hold Peter down. He fought back as much as he could, and Clint followed closely, aiming and waiting for his moment. 

Peter kneed Suprema in the stomach, whimpering as he threw her off of him and onto the floor of the building. She grunted in pain and shifted her focus to Clint, a faint red glow appearing around her. Clint grunted in pain and sank to his knees, face going red from a seeming lack of oxygen. Peter threw himself into action, webbing the roof and swinging down, grabbing Suprema and slamming her against the wall, webbing her down as best he could.

She laughed and yanked her body free of the webbing, smoothly landing on the floor. She was still just a moment too long, and before she knew it, had an arrow lodged in her side.

Suprema cried out in pain, and then many things happened at once.

Tony cried out in pain, and told Steve and Bucky to get inside to help them fight. Clint turned to fire at Slash, and she collapsed with a blood curdling cry. Most pressingly, a hand wrapped itself around Peter’s throat and squeezed. 

Peter choked out a strangled cry as he gasped for oxygen, and turned to fight. He stopped dead.

“Miss me, Peter?” A wicked grin was plastered across MJ’s face. 

“Oh shit, Peter. Get her off of you!” Tony cried, too preoccupied with Sin to get to him. 

In Peter’s peripheral, he could see Suprema pull the arrow from her body and go after Clint, grabbing him by the collar and slamming him against a stray pole. Bucky was on Suprema in a heartbeat, but Clint’s body tumbled to the ground.

 _“He’s alive.”_ Friday alerted.

Peter turned as he vision started to blur, and shoved MJ off of him. He stood and gasped desperately for air, heart hammering wildly in his chest.

“MJ, this isn’t you!” Peter cried, shoving MJ’s thin frame away from his own to avoid hitting her. Her grin didn’t fade.

“You’re right, it’s not. I’m better.” She said, landing a good punch across Peter’s jaw. He went careening of the rafters, webbing to keep himself from hitting the ground. 

From across the room, Peter heart Steve cry out in pain, and turned to see him be slashed across the chest by Torso, who was nearly out matching him in strength. 

Tony cried out at Sin pulled back from him and used her abilities to suspend Tony in the air, while he choked and struggled against nothing. His suit wasn’t able to get him away, so Peter took initiative. 

Sprinting towards Sin, he threw a kick at her. It went straight through her body, but Tony fell to the ground.

Peter and Sin engaged, fighting while Tony tried to get ahold of MJ without hurting her. Bucky and Steve went after Torso, and brought her down, but Steve was confronted by Suprema, who took his shield and bashed it into his skull. Steve went limp and collapsed in a heap, and Bucky cried out angrily, turning to fight her.

Suprema and Bucky became a tangle of limbs, neither one out matching the other. Tony struggled to contain MJ, who was trying the same thing Sin had before. 

Peter cried out in anguish as SIn sliced his thigh, but combatted it by getting his hands around her neck. 

Peter could see Tony and MJ fighting out the corner of his eye, and only squeezed harder. Sin groaned in pain, bones creaking against the dirty ground as she struggled. Peter shook as his actions caught up to him, but kept going nonetheless.

_Save MJ. That’s your mission._

“Karen?” Peter asked.

_Save MJ. Save Bucky. Save Steve. Save Clint. Save Tony._

“Turn on instant kill mode.” He said determinedly. His vision shifted, everything doused itself in red. 

Without giving himself time to change his mind, Peter pulled his hand away and fired at SIn. Within moments, she went limp, completely still under Peter’s grip.

“Peter, if you kill Suprema, MJ could die, too!” Tony grunted, and Peter blew out air. 

“Shit.” He mumbled, looking around. Suprema was still fighting Bucky, but one well placed punch sent Bucky to the ground, his unconscious body lying feet away from Steve. 

Suprema seemed to get an idea, and turned to Tony. MJ stalked towards Peter. Her eyes flared with rage, and Suprema’s matched.

Suprema raised her arm, a bright red mist surrounding her. The Titanium of Tony’s suit began to sink inwards, crumbling and crushing him. 

Peter screamed out as MJ reached him, and punched her once in the temple, enough to knock her back a few feet.

Suprema scoffed and turned towards Peter.

“Bad choice.” She said, letting Tony down and turning her attention to MJ. “She was useless anyways.”

And before Peter could move, he saw a flare of energy surge through MJ, and she screamed in agony, crumpling to the filthy ground desperately. She was breathing, but bleeding horribly from lacerations suddenly covering her torso.

Tony’s arc reactor cracked just a bit, and he fell. 

Peter felt adrenaline pumping through his veins, along with a new feeling: Rage.

“Karen, turn instant kill mode back on.” He mumbled, sprinting towards Suprema. He tackled her to the ground, webbing her down and beating her mercilessly and without hesitation.She tried desperately to struggle. Peter didn’t let her go. She cried out for help. Peter didn’t listen.

He stood, and took one look around him: His team, crumpled and beaten. His mentor, and his best friend, both dying, bleeding out.

He raised his arm, and without hesitation, fired. 

For a moment, everything was still. Nothing made a sound, until MJ whimpered.

“Turn instant kill mode off.” Peter rushed out, sprinting to collapse at his knees to grab onto MJ.

“Michelle, you’re okay, I’ve got you. I’m so so sorry, MJ. I’m so sorry-”

“Peter.” MJ said softly, eyes sparking even as she winced in pain. “Don’t blame yourself. Even if I don’t make it out, you saved me.” She said softly. Peter’s eyes filled with tears.

“No, _no,_ MJ, you’re okay. You’re gonna be fine, it’s gonna be fine.” He said, tears spilling over to pour down his face. MJ grabbed Peter’s face and pulled him down to her, connecting their lips for a moment before pulling away.

“Peter. You’re amazing, this isn’t your fault, I swear. I love you.” Peter choked down a sob as MJ’s body seemed to lose the fight it was engaged in, blood spilling everywhere.

“I love you too, MJ. So much. So, so much.” 

MJ smiled.

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear.” She practically whispered, and then stilled. 

It wasn’t what Peter was expecting. She didn’t close her eyes, or slump backwards, she was just… Gone.

Peter let out a sob as he saw Tony come to out of the corner of his eye.

“Friday-” He winced. “Call an ambulance. Then call SI. Get them here as fast as you can.” He winced, giving a weak smile at Peter. There was blood pooling around him, but he gestured Peter to stay where we was. Peter didn’t listen, crawling across the filthy floor to grip onto the damaged metal of Tony’s suit at tightly as he could.

“I thought I told you to get out of here, kid-” Tony choked out, voice weak and strained. Peter cried harder.

“I tried, I just got distracted-”

“Hey, hey. It’s fine. You did everything right, but this looks like the end of it for me.”

“Mr. Stark, please, I’m sorry, this is my fault, I-” Tony shook his head slowly, cutting Peter off.

“No. Don’t apologise. You did amazing, Peter. You are the best kid out there, maybe even the best person out there, and you’ll do amazing things. I’m proud of you. So, so proud.”

And then he stilled just the same as Michelle had, muscles relaxing and the rise and fall of his chest ceasing. Peter fell back, eyes wrenching shut as he instinctively moved back to Michelle, gripping onto her.

Peter looked back down at the girl in his arms, and clutched her tighter, letting out a wretched sob. 

He had nothing left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so maybe I am a LITTLE sorry, but I knew this was happening as soon as I had the idea to use the Sisters in a fic. 
> 
> That being said, there's one chapter left, and it's a LOT to take in!
> 
> Please please please let me know what you think, I love interacting with the people who read my stuff (and also I'm a slut for validation but who isn't tbh). Kudos and comments are GREATLY appreciate and make me suuuper happy.
> 
> Have a great day, you guys are the best! <3


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so this isn't the last chapter, and I'm sorry this is so short, but the next chapter ~should~ be the last one, and will likely be very, very long because of that.

By the time the police arrived, Peter was completely shattered. 

Officers gripped him by the shoulders and pulled him aware from MJ, and Peter didn’t even protest. He let himself fall back, eyes wrenched shut. He couldn’t look at MJ. He couldn’t look at Tony. Everything was too much for him to handle, and one thought echoed through Peter’s brain as officers put him in the back of a car and drove him to the office.

_It’s your fault. You killed them._

The officers asked Peter endless questions, which he answered numbly, before somebody official looking walked in and told the people investigating that an AI had recorded the whole fight from Tony’s suit.

“Damn, Stark thinks of everything, huh?” One interrogator asked after it was announced this wouldn’t go to trial. Peter couldn’t even bring himself to fake a smile. The very mention of his name was like a knife twisting in his chest, constricting his breathing, disrupting his blood flow, and leaving him unable to move through the pain.

They finally, _finally_ let Peter go and told him he’s going home. Suddenly, that was all he could focus on. Home. 

But what is a home without the people that belong in it?

The officers brought him back and told him to wait in the hallway of their apartment while they went in and spoke to May. Peter’s enhanced senses refused to let up, and he could hear May asking about him. What would happen, was he safe, how was he. Then he registered her firmly telling them she didn’t want to see them again, after one made a snide comment towards her. They left, finally, and Peter shakily stood. 

It was still for a moment before Peter went in, and the misty haze covering the world seemed to melt away, leaving him with only pain, raw and mean and ugly. 

He stumbled towards May and collapsed into her arms, and she enveloped him tightly there, mumbling soft words into the top of his head, but Peter couldn’t listen.

“This is my fault.” Peter choked out, and May squeezed him tighter. It dawned on him that she was crying, too.

“No, no. Don’t you dare say that. You didn’t do this.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, and Peter clutched onto her tighter, eyes squeezed shut. 

They stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, Aunt May whispering words of consolation, assuring Peter over and over again that what happened wasn’t his fault.

He couldn’t bring himself to believe a word she said, as much as he would like to.

When Peter finally pulled away, he ducked his face away from Aunt May’s sight. Her shoulder slumped.

“C’mon kiddo, let’s get you bed.” She said, wrapping an arm firmly around Peter’s shoulders and pulling him into her bedroom, where he sat on the bed while she brought him a pair of pajamas and some socks, which Peter trudged to her bathroom to change into.

Peter realised as he unfolded the clothes exactly where they had come from. The shirt was a plain white top, but the pants and socks were Peter’s main focus.

The pants were a gift from Tony, the first Spider-Man print pj pants ever made. Tony had bought that company as an investment, and repeatedly told Peter how proud he was that so many people wanted sleeping clothes with his logo plastered across it. 

Now even the sight of them brought back more memories than Peter had ever been prepared to tackle.

The socks made everything worse. They were a gift from MJ, the first she had ever gotten him. They featured her motto: “Ugh.” Printed in various different fonts and patterns all across them. 

She had explained that she found them while out shopping, and thought of Peter because of how much he teased her for it. The day she had given them to Peter was the day he thought that their friendship could be something more. 

Peter sluggishly changed and collapsed into Aunt May’s bed, a new wave of tears hitting him, these ones quieter. Aunt May flicked off the light switch and laid down next to Peter, pulling him close. He willingly curled into her side, whimpering into her neck.

“I want you to remember how much they loved you. How much they _love_ you. This is not your fault, and they’re both so, so proud of you. I am, too.” May mumbled, kissing the top of Peter’s head.

After hours of silent tears, Peter finally passed out from exhaustion, violent nightmares plaguing his dreams the entirety of the time he slept.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So like I said, there is more of this story coming as soon as I can get free time from school! I'm really really busy right now, and I'm working on a great deal of other projects (some of which I hope to be able to get posted relatively soon!).
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading this far, I really appreciate it! Have a great day! <3

**Author's Note:**

> So... What do you think? I'm really nervous to see if this story goes anywhere, although I really hope it does. There simply isn't enough Peter/Michelle content out there so I thought why not add to it, you know?
> 
> Anyways, feedback is always appreciated! Kudos and comments ABSOLUTELY make my day, and I adore getting to interact with you guys, so let me know what you think!
> 
> As always, you guys are the best and ilysm... Have a great day!


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